Qatar has been frozen out by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain in a four-week-long stand-off.

The quartet dramatically cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and halted all land, air and sea traffic to the country on 5 June.

The Gulf states later set out a list of stringent conditions on which the blockade against Doha would be lifted.

Qatar has now got until Tuesday to submit a response, thanks to a delay requested by mediator Kuwait.

How did the row start?

Image:Fellow Arab states are concerned about Qatar's links with Iran and the country's president Hassan Rouhani

Qatar has been accused of supporting extremist groups after simmering tensions with its neighbouring powers finally boiled over.

Two events seem to have played a key role in sparking the ongoing crisis.

In April, the gas-rich country was reported to have paid a $1bn (£769m) ransom to release members of its royal family captured on a hunting trip in Iraq.

Some media reports alleged the cash was handed over to militias in Iraq to secure their release but those accusations were refuted by the country's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Qatar's government.

Iraq's PM says the money was deposited in the Iraqi Central Bank.

Image:The countries isolating Qatar

In May, Qatar blamed hackers for a story published on the website of its state news agency that quoted its ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani criticising US "hostility" towards Iran.

The Qatar News Agency story quoted Sheikh al Thani as claiming Iran - the biggest adversary of Saudi Arabia and its allies - of being "an Islamic power that cannot be ignored".

The subsequent storm added to long-running sores over Qatar's backing for Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood group which is banned and classed as a terror group in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt.

Qatar has also been accused of supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are currently engaged in a bloody civil war with the country's Saudi Arabia-allied government.

What is being demanded of Qatar?

Image:Al Jazeera is based in Qatar's capital Doha

In a 13-point list sent to Doha, which explains their major gripes with Qatar, the other states have demanded the country must:

Curb diplomatic and military co-operation with Iran

Sever all ties to groups the nations have branded "terror organisations", including the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, al Qaeda and Islamic State

Shut down the Al Jazeera news network, a constant source of irritation for Arab states and accused of being a key pillar of the Qatar's foreign policy.

Shut down other news outlets that Qatar funds

End Turkey's military presence in Qatar

Stop all means of funding for those individuals and groups classed as terrorists by the Arab states and US